Stop using antibiotics in chicken feed, people are at risk, says law panel

The chicken and eggs you eat could be contaminated with antibiotics, leading to drug resistance in your body, the Law Commission has warned citing studies.

The commission has now recommended that antibiotics, including coccidiostats, “shall not be administered” to broiler chickens and egg laying hens except under the supervision of a veterinarian.

In its report on poultry birds, the law panel has pointed out that it is also important that the feed used must be nutrient-rich and devoid of antibiotics as it affects the consumer food quality standard.

But, “there are no statutory regulations, at present to prescribe the standard, quality and quantity of food for poultry in India which leads to rampant use of antibiotics in the poultry feed,” said the report titled Transportation and house- keeping of egg-laying hens and broiler chickens.

It explained that climatic conditions such as temperature and humidity play an important role in attaining maximum production. Higher temperatures would lead to low productivity.

“Therefore, the birds are usually kept at constant temperatures in poultry farms in India. The downside to this is that the birds would be more susceptible to diseases even with small changes in climatic conditions, affecting the chances of their survival. Consequently, they are fed antibiotics to boost immunity,” it said.

In response to the notice inviting suggestions on the issue, the panel had received several responses, including the one from the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbaiees give vaccination shots to chickens at a hatchery in Mumbai.